Like Father Like Son
by Agasga
Summary: When Fenton's sons are being threatened and injured until no end, he has to go to some desperate measures to save his sons. Temporarily Discontinued.
1. Mysterious Intruder

Chapter 1

The Hardy house was quiet in the town of Bayport. Everybody was sleeping peacefully, everyone except one person lingering outside of two teenage boys' rooms. Hiding behind a bush just below their window, he was getting ready to go into the youngest boy's room to do some serious damage… well that was the plan anyway.

Only one word was on his mind…. revenge. He didn't care about anything else right then. But under all of his anger and hatred was fear. Fear, for being done away with like his father. He tried to push that thought to the far reaches of his mind. He almost succeeds, but the thought still lingered on his mind some.

Concentrating on the task a head, he climbed up a tree near the youngest boy's room. He opened the window and silently scrambled in just in case someone saw him sneaking into someone's window which was very impossible since it was a couple minutes passed midnight.

A smile crept onto his paled face when he saw the sleeping bundle of his victim. His enemy, Fenton Hardy, was going to pay for the life of his father with the pain and hopefully the death of his son or sons; one would be enough for him. Walking slowly toward the bundle of sheets, he thought, _'I'm finally going to be able to complete my plan from about two weeks ago when he planned it. God, I'm so happy that I'm going to be able to cause Fenton the pain he caused me but differently by not with his father but one or both of his sons. If he didn't get all of his anger out or didn't have enough fun with the youngest, he might just go to the oldest next door. This is gonna be a piece of cake.'_

In those very special months of planning he had bugged and spied on the close family. He had noticed that no matter what happened, the younger one, Joe, and the older one, Frank, seemed to always be together; it was so hard to get those two apart, they even slept close together. They were much closer than any of the other siblings in the world he was sure of. He thought that he might have to kill both of them to get to Fenton because he was around them both too.

He wasn't going to do anything to them when Fenton had arrested his father because he thought that he probably deserved what he got but he also still loved and cared for him. When his father escaped jail, Fenton's boys were seen snooping around there safe house (he had no idea how they had found them). Then one day, Fenton showed up with the police and had killed him at point blank… or cold blood is how he saw it; he had no idea why. He never did realize that his father had kidnapped their mother, Laura Hardy, and had a gun stuck to her head.

His thoughts were interrupted by the boy shifting heavily in the bed, and rolling to face him. He stayed still for a few minutes to make sure he did not wake up.

'_I need to hurry up before him or Frank wakes up,'_ he thought, noticing how close daybreak was; it was now close to four in the mourning. He wasted way too much time climbing the tree and dwelling on his thoughts.

Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a needle as he advanced towards Joe. Hearing a noise behind him, he swung around quickly to find Fenton, Laura, and Frank Hardy in the doorway.

'_How could they've heard me,'_ he thought._ 'DUH. Silent alarm! What would you expect with a PI?'_

Joe, who still hadn't noticed the danger around him, was still sleeping peacefully. That was solved when he felt something wet hit his arm and a 'thud' from the side of his bed. He saw, through bleary eyes, Frank on the floor wrestling with another figure he could not identify with the black ski mask on his face.

Frank was finally able to pin the guy down, and trying to restrain himself from hitting him at the same time was not easy. Finally, Fenton found some mountain rope near Joe's bed quickly to tie the intruder up.

After the guy had been tied up firmly (and Frank made sure of that), Frank found the needle at the side of Joe's bed and handed it to his father; he never did realize that it was empty when it once had been full. Laura walked over to her youngest son carefully as not to scare him because he looked like he still hadn't figured out what was happened and he also looked spooked.

"Are you okay? Do you feel sick?" Frank asked his brother when he had made it to his bedside beside his mother; he was extremely worried about Joe's health right now because he didn't know what the intruder had done to him yet.

Joe wanted to say 'yes' to ease the worry off of his family but he couldn't say that because he felt extremely sick at the time. And the look on Frank's face said '_he had better not lie to him or he'll not see the light of day for a long time' _so he didn't dare to lie to him right now. "No, not really," Joe paused feeling a wave of nausea pass through him. "Frank, could you get me to the…," he never did finish his sentence as he was violently sick. Luckily, Frank managed to shove a trashcan in front of his face before he vomited all over his bed.

When he was finished he asked Frank in barely a whisper to take him to the bathroom, but when Frank help stand him up, he swayed as his vision darkened; the world went black as Joe passed out in the hands on his brother.


	2. Truth

Chapter 2

"Okay, Joe this isn't funny," Frank said lowering his brother on the floor. Fenton was coming back from their lab when he had heard a 'thump' and hurried over to his sons. They lifted Joe up and onto the bed while Laura hurried to the bathroom wetting a cloth.

When she returned, she found Joe sitting up in bed with glazed eyes as Fenton and Frank had a hand on his back for support while they adjusted the pillows behind him. He looked like he had no idea where he was, well to her anyway she didn't know how he looked to Fenton and Frank. Walking over to her youngest son, she placed her hand on his hand and her hand shot back like she had been bitten by a snake. He was burning up!

"Frank, go get the thermometer, please," she asked in a soft but hurry up tone. He hurried off knowing that that tone meant he better hurry up.

When Frank came back, Joe didn't have the glaze look in his eyes anymore. It looked like that he was getting ready to throw up again, but he had a trashcan right next to him just in case. He instantly remembered the intruder but couldn't find him anywhere but that didn't matter right now… his brother was the only thing that mattered. He barely noticed that his father was gone; probably went back to the lab to anyalize the little of the stuff in that needle. He was probably wondering if that was it that was making Joe sick.

Handing the thermometer to his mother, she told him to open his mouth while she took his temperature.

The beep sounded about 30 seconds later when it had done what it was made for. Laura shook her head sadly, "102.2," she sighed loudly brushing some of Joe's golden locks away from his eyes. His baby blue eyes, usually bright and happy were now dull and loss of life that he usually had.

"Joe, you need to get some rest,"Frank said sitting down on the bed beside him. "Mom, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Yeah. Joe, we're going to be gone for just a minute. Please try to go to sleep," she said reluctantly not wanting to leave her sick son for anything, but she knew if Frank wanted to talk to her when his brother was really ill than it was very important.

"Hmph," Joe mumbled telling both of them that he understood. Frank and Laura headed out the door, closing it very quietly.

Outside on Laura's face you could tell she was extremely worried even though she rarely ever showed how she felt, it was starting to show through. "Do you think that man is responsible for this?"

"No," he said matter-of-factly expecting the shocked look that Laura gave him. "He's been sick for almost a week now. You remember the last case we were on?" She nodded. "When we were undercover, Joe was poisoned when they captured him after finding out his real idenity." Laura looked like she was about to tackle him, but Frank spoke before she could, "He made me promise, mom. He made me promise that I wouldn't tell you because he didn't want you to know of how much pain he was in. I had to respect that and you know that. You understand, don't you?"

Laura thought for a while letting the news soak in. "Yes, I understand." It then hit her that when her boys had come home that Joe was coughing a lot and was deathly pale, but she paid no heed to it because he had told her that he was just extremely tired and the lack of sleep was catching up with him. She was kicking herself in the side knowing that that was HER boy and she should have noticed something was wrong, but knew that she was just happy to see both of them home safe and sound, well for the most part.

Flashback

_Looking around in the cold, damp room (basement like thing), Joe looked for some place of escape. He knew Frank would find him just didn't know when and he didn't think he could survive much longer. They had made him terribly sick with something and he could hardly move. To add to that that had beaten him with a whip, but not bad. He was hoping Frank would get there soon, very soon at that. _

_Hearing a noise at the top of the stairs, he jerked his head up ready for the torture today, but all he saw was a dark shadow and no hysterical laughter and the on and on ramble of what was to come today. Hearing an intake of breath he knew it was Frank just by the reaction. Hurried steps were heard running down the stairs, turning on the light. He was so happy to see his brother to his rescue… again._

_Frank ran over to him taking the tape off Joe's mouth, while hugging him at the same time. Hearing a moan, Frank eased off noticing the pained look in his baby brother's face._

"_What have they done to you?" he asked not expecting an answer. He pulled out his pocket knife and cut the bonds that had held his brother for so long. Noticing how easily they were to come of he knew that Joe was extremely weak._

"_A lot," was all of Joe's reply because he was so weak. Frank was shocked to hear that his baby brother could still talk with how dehydrated he looked._

"_Can, you stand?" Frank asked. He knew he had to get Joe out of here and to a doctor because of the torture he knew he had gone through and of the infections running through his body from the open wounds that looked an angry red, a tell-tell sign of an infection._

"_I don't know. Let me try." Joe moved to get up, but fell back to his butt with a loud moan when he had made it about two feet off the ground._

"_I guess that's a no," Frank thought for while and realized that if he couldn't get Joe up the stairs, he would have to knock him unconscious because his pride would not let Frank carry him up the stairs. "Well I'll help you get up the stairs." _

_Taking Joe's arm and putting it around his shoulder and noticed that most of Joe's wieght was on him. The moving was slow going and they had made it half way up the stairs when Joe collapsed. But not just collapsed, he had passed out from the stress._

'Well that was better than knocking him out_,' Frank thought. Getting Joe in a bridle carry he made it up the stairs and out the house to their car much quicker. Frank pushed Joe into the backseat for him to lie down. He moaned when Frank started up the car making his head turn around and look at the helpless form on the back seat. Joe's eyes fluttered open and stared right at Frank in an almost unseeing matter._

"_Where are you taking me?" he asked Frank in a low voice._

"_To the hospital, you need help." Joe shoock his head slowly saying that he didn't want to go there. He hated hospitals since he's been there almost all of his life. "Do you want mom to find out?" He shook his head faster saying he would go to the hospital more if his mother didn't find out. "Ok, it'll be just for a little bit."_

"_Please, don't let mom find out," Joe said._

"_Okay, I'll tell her we're going to stay here so we can hang around here since we liked it so much. Is that ok?" Joe nodded and they headed towards the hospital._


	3. A Little Prayer

Chapter 3

"Frank, why didn't you tell me? Yes, I know because 'he told me not to', but don't give me that. Your brother's health is more important than his pride, and I know you know that but you need to get it through your thick brain. I know I should've known because I'm his mother but I was just so happy to get you both back alive and safe, well for the most part." Laura was ready to throw herself at her oldest son if he didn't respond like she wanted him to.

"Mom, I know you're furious that I didn't tell you but just listen to me. He said he didn't want you or dad to know because he knew you both would freak out. Dad would hunt the guy that hurt him and kill him and we would never see him again because you know how protective dad is and he would think it was his fault since he sent us undercover. The guy got killed because of what he did even though he deserved it. Listen, you and dad would have sent him to a hospital, but he didn't want to go to one. He's been to too many of them in his ENTIRE life because he's the youngest so enemies of Dad's are going to come after him more than me. You don't know how long I've hurt because he's hurt. Just seeing him in pain puts me in the exact same pain he's in. I even have wanted to change places with him to take just a little bit of the pain he's been in away even if it's just for a little bit. To just take some of his scars away because God knows he's got too many for a kid his age; I've got o many and I've got about a third of scars than he has. I didn't tell you because he needs respect right now, and if we don't trust him on his instincts, he's never going to tell us even if he's on his death bed. Just trust me on this, please," Laura was dumbstruck on what Frank had just said. She knew her boys were close but not that close. She didn't say anything to him when he went into his brother's room to check on him. She just stood there with her mouth wide open with about a million thoughts going through her head at once and was trying to make sense of all of them. Finally she very slowly made her way down the stairs.

Frank opened the door quietly just in case Joe was asleep, but he doubted it because of how loud he and Laura had just talked right outside his door. He was surprised that Joe was still asleep but smiled when he saw how peaceful he looked sleeping, just like nothing was wrong in his life. He knew he was exhausted and knew this was good for him. Making sure nothing was wrong with him, Frank headed out the door to go and find his Dad. He figured that he would be in the lab analyzing the stuff on that needle.

Walking down stairs in the kitchen, he found his mom and dad sitting very quietly, staring off into space.

"What's wrong Dad?" Frank asked noticing how worried they both were.

"Frank…um…we just found out that…," he never did finish. There were sounds of glass shattering, 'thumps', and Joe's scream.

Forgetting what they were saying, they all sprinted up the stairs to find Joe gone. It looked like a tornado had gone through his room; his mattress wasn't on the bed and his clothes everywhere, everything was not in its place.

They all stood in shock at the sight of Joe's room. Laura broke the silence by falling to the ground, sobbing into her hands. Fenton sat down next to her, putting his arms around her and trying to comfort her. Frank ran over to the window and looked out but saw nothing.

'_Joe where have you gone,' _Frank thought. Turning to his parents, he sunk right down next to them and sobbed as reality sunk in.

They had just gotten Joe and Frank back and they had just lost Joe again.

They finally broke apart and went their separate ways: Fenton to his office to call Con; Laura into her room to cry some more; Frank went into his room and prayed.

Frank kneeled down on the side of his bed like he'd down so many times before and prayed for his brother to come back home safely.

_God,_

_Please watch over Joey. I know your getting sick of me praying like this but he's always getting in trouble and most of the time it's not his fault. Just here me and let him know I'll go to the ends of the Earth to find him. Just keep him safe. _

_Amen_

In the Hardy house, it was quiet except for the thing that everybody was doing … praying for Joe's safety.


	4. Shocking News

Chapter 4

The next day, everyone was in mourning in the Hardy house. No noise came from the house even though it had been hectic the night before with the police coming here and there.

As Frank aroused from his nightmare, he walked through the bathroom he and Joe shared into Joe's room. Seeing the "Do Not Cross" tape everywhere just made him shiver. The memories from when he and Joe were younger came rushing back in a flash. Good times and bad times but all of them seemed to have an effect on both of the boys' lives.

Hearing commotion downstairs in the kitchen he decided to go grab some breakfast and then head down to the police station to see if they had any information on his once again missing brother.

Walking down the stairs, he glanced at his mother's teat-stained face and knew she hadn't got one minute of sleep. Slowly walking into the kitchen, he noticed his father was no where in sight.

"Where's Dad?" Frank asked.

"He got called to the station this morning on information about your brother. Good or bad I have no clue," she said knowing her sons, it probably was bad news.

"Seriously?" Laura nodded her head. Realizing that before his brother was kidnapped, his father was trying to tell him something but never had gotten the chance. "Mom, what was Dad trying to tell me last night before Joe was kidnapped?"

Laura hesitated before answering, "Um… well… your father needs to tell you that. Why don't you go down and ask him now."

"Okay, you sure you're going to be alright by yourself?" Laura nodded her head again.

Giving his mother a peck on the cheek, Frank headed out the door and into their black van. Speeding out of the driveway, he headed for the police station to meet his father.

Arriving at the police station, Frank saw his father in front of it looking extremely depressed. Wondering what was wrong, Frank walked up to Fenton and realized that it made his father brake down crying when he saw Frank.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Frank asked afraid of what the answer would be.

"Frank," Fenton paused to take a deep, relaxing breath, "you know the guy that got killed when we found you two?" Frank nodded his head. "Well, we just found out he had a son. But that's no the bad part, he was very close to his father and has a very nasty record. Son, he's a murderer and he's got Joe. We have 48 hours to find Joe."

The words hit Frank like a ton of bricks. Mouth hanging open, Frank collapsed next to his father and cried until he could cry no more.


	5. Where Am I

A/N: Here's the next chappy, it's early this time.

'Joe's thoughts'

"talking"

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys.

The Morning Before

'Ohhhhhhhhhh… why is my head pounding so much and why am I freezing?'

Joe opened his eyes, but slammed them shut as it was very bright because of the light above him and the room was tilting very crazily out of proportion. As all of his senses came slowly back to life he realized that he was in some pain and that he couldn't move his arms or legs; he could barely lift his head up.

As the pain diminished from a sharp stabbing pain to a dull ache all over his body, he realized that the musty and cold feeling in this area he was in abasement that wasn't insulated very well. There was defiantly a temperature change as the time of day progressed onward. It defiantly had a heavy air feeling around noon (or when the sun was at its highest point) and when it started to turn dark the air got reasonably colder. It seemed, well to Joe anyway, that it was like desert weather.

Even though Joe had already tried to move his arms and legs and couldn't now when he tried he felt something restraining his movements of his limbs. He was pretty sure that he was bond on a metallic table in a desert but how can you be sure when you're in a basement with no windows.

"I hope my captor will get here soon so I can find out where I'm at and what's going to happen to me. Judging by my situation right now it's not gonna be good."

A/N: I know this is an extremely short chappy but I just felt like I needed to get Joe into some of this. Sorry, I promise that the next chapter will be much longer.

kifujin senshi


	6. Telling Laura

A/N: I know that I said I would continue this story after I finished my other one but I'm going to continue it now. I was just reading my reviews and I realized I couldn't wait anymore because you guys liked my story( I really didn't think anybody would read them but I love to right). So here you go, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boy's.

A/N: Thank you so much The Silent Rumble for your ideas. I am working them into my story. Thanks so much again!

Laura looked out the window in the kitchen just as the black van pulled up. She knew something was wrong when Fenton and Frank didn't get out of the car immediately. As they climbed out of the car she could make out, but just barely, the tear streaks on their faces.

All of the composer she had built up over the years with her sons and husbands disappearances broke this was just one time too many. And most of all Joe always got hurt, kidnapped, and god knows what else more because he was the baby and used for leverage more than his older brother Frank.

As Frank and Fenton slowly walked up to the house, she tried to wipe the tear streaks off of her face, but as she wiped more and more streaks away more tears just kept coming. Just as the door opened Laura got her tears under control.

"What did the police say Fenton?" Laura asked.

Fenton took a deep breath as he and Frank sat down at the table. "Well are you sure you want to know?" Laura vigorously shook her head yes and in her eyes you could she both fear and determination.

"Okay, well you know the guy that I killed in the last case I had when I found Frank and Joe?" Laura nodded. Frank sat heavily in a chair next to his mom and put his hand on top of hers in a show of comfort for both of them. "We found his fingerprints on the syringe that we found in Joe's room last night. Honey, we have 48 hours to turn in myself and he will return Joe at the cost of my own life. He wants Frank and Joe to feel how he felt when he lost his father. Riley got the ransom note this morning." Fenton ended with a loud sigh. He plopped down heavily in the other chair next to Laura and grabbed her other hand in a comforting gesture.

Laura was speechless for a couple of minutes. All three Hardy's stared into space not really seeing anything

Laura was the first to snap out of her daze. Inch-by-inch her head slowly moved to face the boys in her kitchen, 'No men,' she corrected her self, 'Everything that they've made Frank enough of a man than anybody I know. Fenton has always been my man although when the boys were little he acted just like them, but that was okay with her.

She looked at Fenton then at Frank for about two minutes then looked back at Fenton and asked very sincerely, "What does that mean will he die for sure this time? Do you have any recollection of where he's at? Why haven't you started? Is Frank in any danger? Where's the safe…" Fenton finally stopped her in her rant knowing Joe would be dead if he let her carry on. He got up and walked around to behind Laura with her still in her chair. He very gently squeezed her shoulders to show that he was there and in the same mental predicament as her.

Frank had released his mothers hand in her rant and now again reached across the table to give it another reassuring squeeze. They all stayed that way for a few stressful minutes. Many people would think that a billion thoughts would be going through each of there minds in no order what so ever. But only one thought was going through each of their minds… how were they going to get Joe back safe and sound with out losing Fenton in the process?

A/N: I hate cliffhangers but I thought this was a really good place to stop.

kifujin senshi


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